Flu-Linked Brain Swelling Is Rare in Kids, But It Can Be Fatal

A life-threatening condition involving out-of-control brain swelling can occur in kids who are battling the flu, but it’s extremely rare. 

A review of recent cases highlights the importance of quick diagnosis and aggressive treatment to saving the lives of kids with the condition, called influenza-associated acute necrotizing en...

Bans on Flavored Vapes Have Pros And Cons, Study Finds

State bans on enticing flavors of e-cigarettes bring real benefits in terms of lowering vaping among adults of any age, new research finds.

But it points to a downside, too: A slowdown in statewide declines of cigarette smoking after flavored vapes were banned. 

“Both e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes are essentially...

Could a Single Shot at Birth Shield Kids From HIV for Years?

There’s potentially exciting news from a trial conducted in monkeys:  A single shot of gene therapy given to newborn monkeys appears to shield them from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, for at least three years.

Of course, studies conducted in animals don’t always pan out in humans. But scientists say that if it does, it c...

How Old Is Your Heart? It Could Be Aging Faster Than You Are

Researchers who’ve developed a new “heart age” calculator say many Americans have unhealthy hearts that are physiologically older than their chronological age, with men faring worse than women.

The research team theorizes that telling folks their heart age might help spur them to healthier lifestyles and treatment.

...

U.S. Senate Confirms Infection Expert as New CDC Director

After months with an appointed caretaker, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finally has an official director.

Dr. Susan Monarez, who became the agency’s acting director in March after anti-vaccine skepticism tanked President Donald Trump’s original nominee for the post, was confirmed Tuesday in a 52-47 S...

EPA Moves to Cancel Key Climate Regulations That Limit Pollution

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to remove the legal underpinning for most regulations against climate change.

If approved, the EPA’s proposal would rescind the 2009 decision that set forth a legal basis to regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants. Known as the "endangerment finding," it allowed the EPA to lim...

Wisconsin Reports First West Nile Virus Case of the Year

Health officials have confirmed Wisconsin’s first human case of West Nile virus in 2025.

The case was found in Barron County, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) said. Mosquitoes collected in both Milwaukee and Lafayette counties have also tested positive for the virus.

"The first detections of West Nile virus thi...

Deion Sanders Shares Bladder Cancer Journey, Urges Others to Get Checked

University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders says he is now cancer-free after an unexpected battle with bladder cancer. Now he’s encouraging others to take charge of their health.

Sanders, 57, spoke openly Monday at a news conference about what he went through, including using adult diapers and adjusting to a new way of life.<...

Firefighters at Higher Risk for Many Cancers

Firefighters work hard saving lives, and in process put their own lives at heightened risk from skin, kidney and other types of cancers, a new American Cancer Society (ACS) study finds.

“Although this isn’t favorable news, this study shines a spotlight on the long-term risks firefighters face beyond the immediate dangers of fig...

Cardiac Rehab Is Safe for Folks With A-Fib, And Might Even Help Ease It

If you’ve had a heart attack or are in heart failure, doctors often prescribe cardiac rehabilitation to strengthen your heart. 

A new study contends that these programs are also appropriate for folks with the common irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), and may even help treat the condition.

That c...

Blood-Based Colon Cancer Tests Work, But Many Patients Skip Follow-Up

You try one of the new blood-based tests for colon cancer, and unfortunately, the results come back “abnormal.”

Those are alarming findings, of course.  But for too many U.S. patients, no further steps are taken, a new study finds.

“Blood-based colorectal cancer screening is promising, but it only works if indi...

'Ultra-Processed' Foods Could Hike Your Odds for Lung Cancer

Experts already know that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is bad news for your health, and new research suggests these foods can raise risks for a major killer: lung cancer.

Besides the fact that ultra-processed foods are often high in salt, sugar and fat, people who consumed a lot of these foods also tended to avoid healthier, c...

Over 60? Healthy Lifestyle Change May Help Boost Your Brain

Two years’ involvement in programs focused on healthy eating, regular exercise and “brain training” exercises appears to have helped a wide range of older adults — even those at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s — avoid cognitive decline, a new study finds.

The findings, presented Monday at the Alzheimer&r...

'Tongue Swallowing Prevention': The Wrong First Move When Cardiac Arrest Strikes

When a person collapses from cardiac arrest, many on the scene first try to prevent them from swallowing their tongue, believing it to be necessary in helping them to breathe.

Experts call that a potentially fatal misconception that could delay lifesaving CPR.  

New Israeli research looking at 45 cases of collapsed athletes find...

Federal Judge Halts Plan to Defund Planned Parenthood Through Medicaid

Planned Parenthood clinics across the country will continue to receive Medicaid funding, at least for now.

On Monday, a federal judge blocked a new federal rule that could have shut many of them down.

The ruling, issued Monday by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, replaces an earlier, more limited decision. The new order a...

The Gut-Healthy Secret Weapon Hiding in Your Sauerkraut

A small scoop of sauerkraut every day may do more than add crunch to your meal.

It could also protect your gut.

In a new study from the University of California- Davis, researchers found that fermented cabbage, also known as sauerkraut, may help support the gut lining and reduce inflammation in the body.

"A little bit of sauerk...

Cowboys Guard Rob Jones Breaks Neck Bone, Out Up to 3 Months

Dallas Cowboys guard Rob Jones will miss about two to three months after breaking a bone in his neck during the team’s first padded practice of training camp, a new report from the team shows.

Jones, 26, told the team’s website Monday that he got hurt early in Sunday’s practice in California but was still able to finish t...

Words Used During Prenatal Ultrasound Might Affect Parenting Later

An ultrasound is typically a parent-to-be’s first glimpse of their child. 

New research suggests that the words hospital staff use to describe the fetus during an ultrasound can have an impact on later parenting — for good or ill.

For example, if an ultrasound’s poor quality is blamed on an “uncooperative...

Dementia Diagnosis Typically Comes 3.5 Years After Symptoms

It takes an average of three-and-a-half years for typical dementia symptoms to lead to a diagnosis, a new report finds.

Diagnosis often comes even later for early-onset dementias.

Speeding up the process is important, because “timely diagnosis can improve access to treatments and for some people prolong the time living with mil...

Is It Chronic Fatigue? Listen to Your Gut, Research Suggests

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be guiding doctors towards a gut-focused means of accurately diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), new research shows.

The illness appears to disrupt relationships between a person’s gut microbiome, immune system and metabolism, explained a team led by Julia Oh. She’s a microbiologist and p...